Stellate Ganglion Nerve Block

[Guide]

An article published in the Daily Mail, Nerve injection that can stop the nightmare of hot flushes, by Robert Dobson, states, "An injection in the neck might ease the symptoms of hot flushes....known as a stellate ganglion nerve block."  Many rosaceans are more concerned with avoiding flushing than with anything else. What exactly is stellate ganglion nerve block?

The Cleveland Clinic answers, "A stellate ganglion block is used to diagnose or treat circulation problems or nerve injuries..."

Cedars-Sinai states, "A stellate ganglion block (sympathetic block) is an injection of local anesthetic into the front of the neck."

Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute, University of Maryland states, "A stellate ganglion block is an injection of local anesthetic (numbing medicine) to block the sympathetic nerves located on either side of the voice box in the neck."

One paper on this subject states, "Due to a high risk of side effects, for example, pneumothorax and vascular puncture, an image-guided approach is strongly suggested, even with the "safer" C6 approach." [1] 

"The inputs from sympathetic ganglia have been known to be involved in the pathophysiology of various conditions like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)" [2]

Stellate ganglion block (SGB)
"Stellate ganglion, also known as the cervicothoracic ganglion,....SGB is the oldest and most common sympathetic block that is applied today....There is a broad range of case studies that report the effectiveness of SGB in many different conditions. The outcomes may look promising, but expanding the indications of SGB needs more randomized, controlled studies." [2]

End Notes

[1] Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-.
Stellate Ganglion Blocks
Emanuele Piraccini; Ke-Vin Chang.

[2] J Pain Res. 2017; 10: 2815–2826.
Ganglion blocks as a treatment of pain: current perspectives
Osman Hakan Gunduz and Ozge Kenis-Coskun